Pianooraph co



V. M. GAY.

FOLD/ABLE TABLE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. I918.

59,08,350; I Patented July 1 1919.

"UNITED STATES PATENT OLDLABLE ABLE,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VERNER M. GAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury, in the county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foldable Tables; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable. Others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in collapsible table structures, more particularly of that type including outer table top sections hingedly connected with a central section whereby they may swing downwardly from the edges of the central section to afford a table surface having only the area of said central section, or may extend in the plane of the central section to afford an enlarged table surface. I

It is in general the object of the present invention to simplify the structure of de vices of this character and to increasethe ease with which such devices may be ma-.

nipulated to assume the various desired relations of their partsfand to assure a proper firmness and rigidity of the parts in their various positions. a I M In this connection it is more particularly an object to provide a means connecting all of the outward table top sections which are hinged to the central table top section,

whereby said outer sections are simultaneously movable to raised and lowered position and may be held in raised position by a Single common supporting member.

A further object resides in the provision of a foldable table of the present nature whose maximum and minimum table top surfaces may 'be respectively round and square in contour, in contradistinction to collapsible tables wherein adjustment of the table surface must in one instance procure a decided oblong shape of the table surface.

That operation of the table may be especially facilitated, it is an especial object to provide a structure including an arrangement of folding parts such that these parts will not interfere with each other as they are folded, and to accomplish this without the use of fasteners for holding any of the folding parts in folded position.

at With above and ether ages and Specification of Letters Patent.

bility 1 of the supporting leg.

un on.

inaft'er described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure lis .a side elevational View of the improved table,x with. all of its table top sections in extended position.

Fig; 2 is a plan view of the table as arranged in Fig, 1; I i r Fig. 3 is .a side elevatio-nal view of the .talble, with its outer table top sections folded downwardly to afford a minimum table top surface.

Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary bottom perspcctive View of the table top showing the means for holding {the triangular table top sections in raised position at their edge portions .remote from the hinged edges thereof.

ilFig...5 is a fragmentary sectional iew on the line 5-5 of Fig, 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken vertically throughthe leg of the table and showing the means for holding the common supporting collar of the outer table top sections. H Referring now more particularly tothe drawings, the present embodiment of the invention includes a single post or leg 5, for supporting the table top structure, which is provided at its lower end with a foot plate Patented July 1, 1919.

npp1icationfi1edApri130, 1918. Serial No. 231,716.

or"base-.6 from the peripheral portion of which braces 7 extendin upwardly convergent relationwto anantermed ate portlon of the leg, to lnsure sulficlent stren 'th and stacured to the upper end of the leg 5 is a central tabletopfi which is square in contour andof sufficiently large dimension to dis charge the usualsupporting function of an ordinary table of small size.

Secured by hinges 9 to each outer edge of the top section 6 is an extension section 11 y of substantially square shape and substantially equal in sizeto the top section8, one side edge of the extension top section 11 being flush with the adjacent parallel edge of the top section 8, and its other side edge being offset inwardly of the corresponding parallel side edge of the top section 8. The

degree of offset of the sections 11 is substan- 1y equal to the individual thickness or supj zylemeutal trip sections is, one of Which is secured to the inwardly offset edge of each section 11; by hinges 12. These sections 13 are substantially triangular and their outer sides are curved to form, when extended with the sections 11, continuations of the outer edges of said sections 11, which are correspondingly curved whereby the in creased table top area formed by the extension sections is circular in contour. To hold the adjacent otherwise free edges of the extension sections 11 and 13 against relative downward movement, plates 14 are pivoted to the under surfaces of the sections 18 ad j acent their free edges and may be swung to enga e the under surfaces of the sections 13, there y afiording a positive support for the free inner edges of the sections 13 and aiding also in holding the entire series of extension sections in raised position by reason of the intersecting arcs of downward folding movement of the sections. The .major supporting means of the sections in raised position comprises bars 15 hinged to the outer edge portions of the under surfaces of the sections 11 and hinged to a collar 16 which isslidably mounted on the leg 5. To hold the collar in raised position on the leg, a pair of pawls 17 is mounted in diametrically opposed recesses 18 in the leg and are resiliently urged outwardly of the periphery of the leg by aespring 19 extending. transversely therethrough and bearing against said walls, retractionof the pawls into the recesses permitting passage of the collar therepast.

The operation of the table to procure its various desired positions is thus very simple and easily effected. In folding the table, the plates 14 are swung to retracted position permitting the sections 13 to drop. The pawls 17 are then retracted, permitting the collar-.16 to move downwardly on the shaft, and the table sections 11 to fold downwardly. By reason of the inward offsetting and parallel with the inner faces of the adjacent sections 11. All of the extension sections in folded position thus lie vertically at the sides of the central top section (3, to afford a structure convenient in its use and attractive in appearance. To utilize the maximum table top surface of the device, it is merely necessary to grasp two of the sections 11 and swing them outwardly and upwardly until the collar 16 is raised above the pawl 17, and then to raise the top sections 13 which depend from the sections 11 and are thus within easy reach, and secure them by the pivot plates 1-1, it being observed that if desired, one of these sections 13 may remain in lowered position to provide an inset space in the table top surface which may be desirable for performing various types of work on the table.

lVhile I have described the central table top section as being square, it may comprise any perferably equilateral figure, although a square shape of the central section and a substantially square and equal shape of the extension sections hinged directly thereto permit a most convenient folding.

What is claimed is:

A foldable table including a supporting means, a central table top section rigidly secured to said supporting means, table top sections hinged to the edges of the central table top section, each hinged section having one side flush with the adjacent parallel side of the central section and its other side inwardly offset from the corresponding other side of the central section, a table top section hinged to each inwardly offset side and means for holding the table top sections in extended position, the offset of the second mentioned sections being such as to permit the third mentioned sections to lie wholly beneath the central sections when the hinged sections are folded.

In testimonywhereof, I aliix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

VERNER M. GAY.

Witnesses F. H. BRINSLEY, NATHAN SPIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

